Blood and Gold
by Infinite Ravens
Summary: With the destruction of everyone she loves looming on the horizon, who does Bella turn to? Rushing towards her death, hoping to save those she loves, Bella finds that maybe permanent death isn't quite in her future. But can she learn to navigate this new path laid out before her? *Red - Eye Warning*
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight or any recognizable material. I do however play around a bit with the world. Please be warned that this is an AU and that a few details have been changed in the course of my story. Bella learned about the Volturi _before_ Edward left and Jacob caught Bella _before_ she jumped. Also, this is not a vegetarian Bella - so if your against that duck out now. As for those of you sticking around, please enjoy. Ciao.**

 _ **"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,  
and is never the result of selfishness."  
\- Napoleon Hill**_

 **Chapter One:**

I had never been much of a drinker; the few glasses of champagne on New Year's with Renee was about the extent of my experience with alcohol. Tonight, however, the amber colored whiskey in my small water glass burned my throat and the fire cleansed the guilt roiling in my stomach. I rocked the glass on the table in front of me, tearing my eyes off the ocher liquid that reminded me so much of the family I had once loved. Across the table, Billy Black and Quil Ateara Sr. were both silent and grimly drinking their own whiskey. Sue Clearwater was at the far end of the table, smoking a cigarette with an almost vacant expression on her pretty, round face. And Sam Uley was at the head of the table, drinking straight from the brown paper covered bottle – trying to drown his anguish.

I wished Jacob were here with me. I missed his comfort and his easy smiles, but most of all I missed his single-minded protective ferocity. He was out there right now, scouring the woods from here to Seattle with his pack brothers – trying desperately to track down the murderous nomad Victoria who had been a plague on the Pacific North-West for months. I wished desperately that Jacob would take me in his arms and shush me – tell me that he would protect me and that I'd believe it. Jacob had this indescribable way of making you believe everything would be okay. He was pure hope and joy and warmth – it was incredible how big and kind his heart was.

But he wasn't here. He couldn't tell me those things and the innocent optimism that made Jacob my own personal sun now seemed so childish and naïve. Nothing was alright and everyone sitting at Billy's table knew it. The council hadn't needed to summon me and they didn't need to liquor me up or even say the words. I knew already, how could I not? Charlie had stacks of missing person's files cluttering up the dining room table and even the news had started to report on an unusually high level of gang activity and the possibility of a serial killer. The vampires that the wolf pack had fought off – the ones Quil Jr. and Jared had given their lives fighting – were just the beginning.

Victoria was the serial killer in Seattle and it didn't matter how many the pack managed to kill because Victoria had millions of people at her disposal. I watched Sam's grim features harden and he reached for the whiskey bottle and took a long drink. The last week had been especially hard for him. With the onslaught of vampire activity two new kids had shifted; Brady and Collin – twelve and eleven respectively.

I drained my glass and, without a word, Sam filled it until it nearly reached the brim. I didn't argue – I only took another long gulp, trying to drown out the terror that threatened to push me into madness. It was unthinkable – two _children_ being dragged into death and carnage. Tears welled in my eyes as Jacob's voice rambled on in my head – _'Collin can't stand the mated wolves, thinks all that kissing they think about is gross.'_

Children – and that's what most of the pack was despite their arguments. I was older than all of them except for Sam and Paul – even Jacob had only just turned seventeen and hadn't even kissed a girl yet. These were my protectors – these children that thought themselves men because they could transform into wolves – and I loved them all. I loved their ferocity and their passion – I loved their goodness. The mere thought of their destruction on my behalf was enough to drive me mad. _Eleven years old…_

My throat cleared of the lump inside it noisily and the council looked to me. Even Sue, who had been staring out the back, sliding glass door looked to me with conflicted eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry," I said in a hoarse croak. "I never meant for any of _this_ to happen."

"We know Bella," Billy assured me with kind and sorrowful eyes.

"But it doesn't change the fact that I'm out there training _children_ to fight _monsters_ to protect _you,_ " Sam growled angrily with a clenched fist on the table.

I couldn't help but look down, ashamed and guilty. "She's just a girl, Sam," Sue growled right back. "What do you expect her to do? Walk into Seattle and offer herself up? Do you really think that the vampire will stop with her?" She snorted bitterly and took a long drag off her cigarette.

"Sue's right," Quil Senior said solemnly as he took a drink from his own glass which was filled with a clear liquor. "Maybe before – but too many lives have been lost. Too many for just one or two vampires feeding. The red head is turning victims – more than she is sending to us. Something must be done before the full force of whatever demon army she has made comes down upon us all."

I couldn't stop the quiet sob that broke me nearly in half. With a reproachful look from Billy, Sue slid her soft pack of Camel Lights to me. The taste was awful and Billy glared at me but my nerves did calm as I inhaled and exhaled with more control. My hands still shook but I tried to push away the guilt and self-loathing to a far corner and returned to the glass in my hand.

"Something has to be done," Sam sighed wearily after a few minutes. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his short dark hair. "It's only a matter of time before either we all die or humans catch on to what's really happening."

Billy and Quil argued quietly but I couldn't make myself listen anymore. I couldn't take this helpless doom that clung to me – I despised the fact that my only hope was for Edward to return. That I was powerless without him. The thought made me near feral in rage and I felt the urge to claw at something – the wall, the table, my own face. Anything to alleviate the wrath that burned in my veins.

How _could_ they? How _dare_ the Cullens pretend to be so good and pious when all they left was destruction in their wake. Did they even care that the secret could be in jeopardy? Surely, they had heard at least something of the horrors in Seattle – most of the country had. Were they so unconcerned that they would let Victoria have her vengeance now that Edward was done with me? Was this the price of loving a vampire – death and betrayal?

Would I and everyone that I love die while the Cullens continued on without fear of retribution?

No. The idea blossomed in my mind like the most beautiful flower. I was not strong enough to stop Victoria or hurt the Cullens – but I knew of people who were. People who would care very much if they found out how close to the edge the secret balanced. The guardians of the immortal secret – the protectors – the Volturi.

"Stop," my voice was only a squeak and I looked up from the cheap ocher-colored whiskey. "Stop," I repeated more forcefully. Quil Sr. and Billy's hushed argument died and they looked to me. "I think I know of a way to stop Victoria." I left out the part of my own revenge against the Cullens and set my glass down on the table – sitting up straighter in the chair.

"You're not walking into the woods Bella," Billy commanded gruffly. "I'd never be able to look Charlie in the eye again."

"No," I assured him quickly, knowing he would like this next part even less than the idea of sacrificing myself to Victoria. "There are rules in the vampire world," I explained while trying to remember everything that Edward had told me. "Not many – but they all tie into each other for one purpose, prevent exposure. These laws are guarded by the Volturi – a vampire coven so powerful that they rule as uncontested leaders of the entire vampire race."

"So you what," Sue stubbed out her cigarette and reached for another, "want to give these vampire leaders a call? Ask them to save a bunch of humans they don't know or care about?"

Billy filled his glass out of Sam's bottle and sighed deeply into it. "Not exactly," I shook my head slightly and took a gulp of my own drink for strength. "I want to go to them and tell them of how the Cullens have broken the law and left the secret in danger. They will have to step in and stop Victoria because of the attention she's aroused."

Quil Senior's eyes were full of understanding as he looked at me. His mouth was set in a grim frown but I knew he understood what I wasn't saying. "What about you Bella?" He asked as Billy nodded in agreement.

"These vampires protect the law and you are walking proof of it being broken," Billy banged a fist against the arm of his wheelchair. "Do you really think that they will let you live?"

"No," I whispered quietly and then with more confidence than I actually felt I said, "I don't expect to walk out of the Volturi alive but I'm hoping that you of all people would understand, _Chief_ Black."

No one said anything for a very long moment. Billy looked angry that I had thrown his responsibility in his face but it was necessary. My life was not worth that of the wolves, the tribe, or the people of Forks – and he knew it. It didn't matter how hurt his best friend of decades would be or what happened to me. Everyone at this table could see the end and knew we had no hope. We all knew the devastation that lurked on the horizon. Victoria would unleash her vampire army and we would all die.

But Billy's reluctance still shone in his eyes and I could feel my eyes watering at how much he cared. "Billy," I stopped and tried to contain the emotion in my voice. "You all have protected me for so long but it's time for me to protect you."

Billy reached out across the table to hold my hand and I smiled as I reveled in the warm calloused palm. "Charlie raised a good kid," he whispered roughly.

"Watch over him for me," I pleaded with a quivering lip. "Take care of him for me."

He nodded with tear filled eyes and leaned back, freeing my hand. "O-of course, y-you know us – thick as th-thieves."

I smiled and wiped away the tears on my cheeks with the back of my hand. "W-well," I stood up rather abruptly and tried fiercely not to sway as the room tilted slightly. The overwhelming panic of my impending death seemed to be tearing me apart from the inside and I didn't want to show the council exactly how terrified I was. "I best get home." I tried to smile through fresh tears but it felt broken and manic. "Tickets to buy, you know."

I turned to leave but Sam stood and grabbed my arm, "Let me drive you."

I nodded, trying not to show just how drunk I was. "Bella," Billy called from behind me and I turned to look over my shoulder. He didn't say anything else, he just stared at me sadly as my face crumpled. I nodded and turned back around, allowing Sam to guide me out to my truck.

The sharp, piercing cold wind tore through my thin clothes as I hobbled to the passenger's side and hopped in. I knew the heater wouldn't start to work until we were almost home and I lamented silently over the cold of Forks. What I wouldn't give to feel the heat of the Arizona sun one last time. To feel the blistering heat soak into my bones and warm my very soul. My forehead fell against the window as Sam turned the key and the engine roared to life. I'd have a nice long bath tonight, that was as close to the warmth of home as I was ever going to get.

Sam didn't speak as he pulled out of the drive and pulled onto the road. I watched the trees glide by with a new appreciation for them; they seemed more beautiful than usual. Their colors were richer and their appearance more haunting – the forest was mystical.

We passed the cliffs of La Push and I smiled softly to myself as I saw silver wolf jump off the side and shift mid-air. It was too dark to see more than a human-shaped figure but I knew Leah's wolf and I knew she liked to cool off after a hard run by jumping in the ocean. I noticed Sam watching too and smiled softly as I saw the love he still held for her etched into his own small smile. "I've always wanted to cliff jump," I said as Leah disappeared and Sam turned back to the road.

Sam snorted and gave me a wry look, "I didn't take you for a thrill seeker."

I laughed at him playfully and said, "I was about to jump once, but Jacob found me as I was admiring the view and told me about Harry."

"Well, you did run with vamps." I rolled my eyes at him and crossed my arms. He always said that whenever I managed to surprise him, like when I slapped Paul or yelled at him when he had gagged Jacob to keep him from talking to me.

But the small talk died too quickly and neither of us quite knew what to say. I looked back out of my window and watched the blur of the forest as we drove. The ride from La Push to Forks was a short one and in a town of only one stop light, it didn't take long to reach Charlie's. Neither of us had broken the silence when he pulled into Charlie's driveway and cut the engine.

Neither of us made a move to get out of the truck, finally, Sam turned to look at me. "I'm sorry for what happened with the Cullens and I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

It was only then that I saw, truly saw, just how much this pained him. I almost cried as I looked at him, his calm mask shattered and the self-loathing in his eyes. "No – no Sam, you protected me for so long. I owe you everything – you gave me _months_ of extra time to live. That is the most precious gift anyone could ever give another." My face crumpled and my lip quivered, "When you are counting hours, _months_ are a miracle. You guys were my miracle."

Sam looked up at the ceiling of the truck and seemed to force himself to take a large breath and force his face into his normal neutrality. I bit my bottom lip and nodded as I blinked back tears, "Take care of Jacob for me. He won't understand this at first."

"Of course," Sam replied with a serious nod.

With that, I got out and made my way slowly to the porch. When I got to the door I turned around, Sam was gone and I breathed a sigh in relief. I sat down on the porch step and let myself cry with my forehead on my knees. I let myself get out all of my rage and all of my fear and I cried until my body could no longer produce any more tears. I mourned my ending life and the squandered months that Sam had given me. I had ruined them, wasted them away as shell – a living corpse. Pining away for the people who had thrown me away like yesterday's paper.

When my eyes ran dry I wiped my face and unlocked the door quietly. The living room was dark and Charlie was already upstairs asleep. He had been so enthusiastic about me going down to La Push that he hadn't even given me a curfew. But I guess at eighteen I was considered an adult now.

I could hear Billy from earlier as I made my way up to my room, _"If you're old enough for vampires, you're old enough for Bourbon."_


	2. Chapter 2

**_"When we feel love kindness towards others,  
it not only makes other feel loved and cared for,  
but it also helps us to develop inner happiness and peace."  
\- Dalai Lama_**

 **Chapter Two:**

I didn't sleep much that night with the heavy looming thoughts of my impending death and what little I did, was plagued by nightmares. A few times I saw myself, once as the spitting image of my second-grade school photo with a large, warm smile and another time as a middle-aged woman with icy eyes and an embittered frown. But mostly I kept seeing demons and monsters with bright red eyes and awful bloody mouths and clothes. They swung and jumped out at me, trying to grab me and claw at me, but they were nearly feral and couldn't stand being out the inky shadows they lurked in. I could only run away from these animalistic monsters they wouldn't listen to my shouts or pleas for help. They wanted only the blood in my veins and either couldn't or wouldn't comprehend anything more than their bloodlust.

Just as one with chocolate brown hair leaped at me with a large snarling mouth, I sat up so fast the room spun and my head pounded furiously. I couldn't quite control my rapid, shallow gasps or the churning of my stomach. I launched myself out of bed with the heroic will of one who doesn't want to clean puke off their carpet and vaulted inside the bathroom with little care of the startled Charlie in the shower. It felt like my whole stomach was trying to heave itself out of my body after the abuse I had put it through. "Jesus Bells," Charlie had his head poked out and around the shower curtain, his dark hair lathered in bubbles. "You reek."

My head fell uselessly against my arm that was resting on the toilet and I tried to will my stomach to settle. "Sorry dad," I tried to sound contrite but even to my own ears, the pain was clear in my voice.

When I peered up at him, however, Charlie had a small and triumphant smile. His head disappeared back behind the shower curtain as I listened to his quiet laughter. After a while, he said, "I can't wait to tell Renee. She'll be so proud – our daughter's first hangover."

"Shouldn't you be yelling at me?" I growled at him as my brain pounded furiously against my skull. "Or ground me? You are the _Chief of Police._ "

"Monday through Friday, nine to five." Charlie countered happily and I could almost see his stupid grin. It was so wrong and I wanted to slap it off his face. I knew what he thought – that I had been down at a La Push bonfire, partying with friends and finally showing some spark of life after the Cullens – but it was so wrong. There had been no bonfire and there was no hope of any spark of life within me. I had only hours left in my hourglass of life. By this time tomorrow I would be in Florence and in eight hours I would be at the Seattle airport.

Charlie was so happy and he had no idea of just how much pain was in store for him. His only daughter, disappeared one afternoon and never came home. It was the same story for each and every missing kid on the flyers and files on the kitchen table. He had no idea that I had drained over half of my college savings or that my passport was safely tucked into my carry-on. But worst of all, Charlie would have not a single clue before his world crumbled. I closed my eyes and tried not to sob right there.

"You didn't drive home did you, Bella?" Charlie peered around the curtain seriously, this time the soap in his hair had been washed away.

"No, Dad," I replied honestly. "Sam Uley drove me home, he's not one for big parties."

"That's good – er, responsible." Charlie started to flush and disappeared back behind the curtain. "Just remember that if you ever need a ride, you _can_ call me. I promise I won't _freak out_ or anything."

"Thanks, Dad," He didn't seem to notice the agony that seized my heart and shook my voice.

When I was sure that my stomach had agreed to stay in my body I spent ten minutes in the kitchen, brushing my teeth and drinking straight from the faucet. I must have looked terribly disturbed to Mrs. Kline – the neighbor to the east of us. I looked up once I couldn't hold another drop of water in my body and found her gaping at me through her own kitchen window, with a ceramic mug in her hands.

But the embarrassment never came and I found myself peculiarly numb. My impending death loomed over me like a giant spirit I couldn't quite conceive. What would happen to me? Would I just cease to exist, my entire being fade out of existence? Or would I continue on in some ghostly afterlife? Was heaven or hell real? Could I be reincarnated? I wanted so desperately to believe in some sort afterlife but I had never been religious or even spiritual and the thought of just ceasing to exist loomed heavily on my thoughts.

Everything that I ever was or would be all gone with no meaning or purpose. I would just _die_ and the world would continue on as if nothing had happened.

The sound of the phone broke my troubled thoughts and I went back to the kitchen. "Hello?" I answered wearily, my body still jittery and sick.

"It's me, Bella," Billy replied, sounding just as awful as I felt.

"Hey Billy, Charlie's still here but I suspect he'll leave within the hour."

"That's good, we're going fishing. Hopefully, the weather stays nice." He paused and heaved a great sigh as if he were frustrated. "Sam has offered to drive you to the airport."

"And Jacob?" I asked, wondering if my best friend had found out yet.

"Sam hasn't changed since last night, he's keeping the pack in the dark about everything until you're safely in the air." It hurt to do this Jacob. I knew how distraught he would be and I wished desperately for some way to spare him the heartache to come.

"Good," I rested my head beside the phone, "My plane leaves at four but I have to be there by two, to get through security. I'll need to leave here around eleven."

"Bella, listen – I must –" But I never found out what Billy must do because at that moment Charlie's footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and I knew I had to wrap up the call.

"Of course, Billy – Charlie's just about to leave now. I'll tell him to hold off on the beer and bring veggie burgers and lemonade for lunch." Billy seemed to understand and said a quick goodbye. I hung up and turned to Charlie who was grinning at me from the table.

"Veggie burgers and lemonade, huh?" Charlie let out small bark of a laugh and opened the paper. "Sounds like the old man finally went senile."

"You're the same age, dad." I rolled my eyes at him and tried my hardest to concentrate on this moment, to burn it into my mind so that I would always have it.

"If I ever eat a veggie burger, Bells, it's time to have me committed." He grumbled playfully at me. "Obviously, my taste buds died and the rest of me isn't too far off."

"Well," Charlie sighed as he folded the paper up and took his coffee mug to the sink, "the world still sucks and Seattle's still fucked, but the weather's nice and I plan to enjoy it."

"Have fun, Dad," he kissed the top of my head and squeezed my shoulder. I almost fell apart, almost dissolved into hysteria and begged him to hide me. But there was no manic terror left in me, I had cried it all out of me the night before on the porch. I was terrified, but I was calm and determined because deep down, I knew that everyone – at some point – was going to and had died. The only tragedy was that it was all ending so soon. I'd be leaving in two hours.

I didn't pack a suitcase, I wouldn't be needing it. But I did pack a carry-on, large cross body bohemian bag that could easily fit a few books, my mp3 player, my wallet, tickets, and a change of clothes. I had taken a quick shower and finished off the last of Charlie's coffee. I had wanted to spend my last few hours in the tub or even on the lawn enjoying the sun and plush green grass, but I sat at the kitchen table – combing through files and fliers. I pulled every name and case and every shred of evidence I could find that would help give my story credence.

I was still manically adding reports of exsanguination with no obvious wounds when Sam knocked on the door and the bottom fell out from beneath me. "C-come in," I stuttered quietly, unable to call out. I took a large, shaky breath as Sam opened the door and stepped into the hall.

"Hey Bella," he was dressed in cutoffs and a wife beater with his tattoo on his right bicep proudly displayed. "Billy tell you I was coming?"

I nodded mutely and turned to shove the thick file I had put together into my carry-on. "Y-yeah, I'm – well let's go."

Sam nodded and I followed him quietly to his car, my entire body shaking. "How'd you manage a flight so soon?" He asked as he turned the key and the engine purred to life.

"Oh, it was easy really, but really expensive."

Sam nodded and let his arm hang lazily over the steering wheel as he cruised through town. "I want – well when this all over, will you give Billy this – to give to Charlie?" I grabbed the thick envelope from my bag.

"Bella – you can't – "

"I know," I interrupted him patiently, "It doesn't tell him anything. It's just – goodbye. He deserves one."

Sam took the envelope from me and put it in the glove box as if he couldn't stand to even look at it. "Are you sure – I mean," He paused and his hand on the steering wheel clenched. "Are you sure this will work?"

I wanted to assure him, to soothe his worry and the guilt that lined his face, but I didn't know how. I didn't know for sure this would work. The Volturi could just kill me before even listening to me and Victoria would still come and everyone would still die. "No, they could just kill me where I stand but I'm hoping that either curiosity or reason still exist within them. After all, it can't be like a human goes looking for them every day."

Our conversation died for quite some time but Sam never lost the thoughtful and reluctant expression. After about an hour of silence, I cracked. "Just say it Sam, there's no time for hesitation."

A slow ripple went down Sam's arms and I cursed myself. I shouldn't anger the werewolf sitting not two feet from me. But instead of lashing out or anything Sam took a long, deep breath and his muscles relaxed. "What if they don't kill you," he asked without looking at me. "I mean, what if you don't stay dead?"

"You mean what if they turn me?" Sam nodded and I bit my lip nervously. I couldn't say I hadn't entertained the idea, late at night when the thought of _death_ was just too much to bear. But I couldn't fool myself for long, even the Cullens hadn't wanted me – I highly doubted the world's most powerful vampire coven would have any want for me.

I shrugged finally and looked out the window. "I don't know why they would ever want _me,_ Sam. I'm nobody, nothing special. I'm just a human who got caught up in a vampire. I'm sure I'm not the only one in history."

"But if they did – "

I cut him off with an anger that bordered on hysteria. "Then I wouldn't come back here. What? Did you hope I'll only be gone a week or two and come back and live like the Cullens did and live with Charlie as if nothing ever happened?"

"No, Bella that's not –" Sam stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Even if I was turned, I'd never come back. I hate it here and I hate who I became here." I said the last part mostly to myself and looked down at my hands.

"I just meant, do you think you could be happy as a vampire?" He asked it with such hope that I nodded even though I wasn't sure. All I was sure of was that I didn't want to break him with the truth. So I nodded and forced my lips into a small smile. "Sure, I'd feed off animals and find a nice third shift job and make a home for myself."

Sam was so eager to believe my words that I had to look away. "If they do – you know – and you ever need help or anything, you know where we are."

I nodded, knowing that it was unlikely but unwilling to make him as miserable as I was. If this was how he lived with it, then who was I to take it away from him.

The rest of the drive I spent watching the green landscape fly by me and repeating the same question over and over again. _Had they ever actually cared?_


	3. Chapter 3

**" _In the depth of the anxiety of having to die  
is the anxiety of being eternally forgotten."  
\- Paul Tillich_**

 **Chapter Three:**

" _Please return trays to upright positions and buckle up. We are about fifteen minutes outside of Florence, where the temperature is a balmy sixty four degrees Celsius and the time is four thirty in the afternoon. We at Delta thank you for flying with us and hope your stay in Florence is enjoyable. Don't forget to –"_

I plugged my earbud back into my ear and despite the fear pumping through my veins, I couldn't help but smile as I looked out of my little window and down onto Italy. The layover in Paris had been wonderful and the few hours I had to spend there were not enough, but _Italy._ How I wanted to be able to peruse Florence and it's brightly colored streets. I had never wanted anything like I wanted to be able to forget the danger back home and lose myself in the Italian culture.

I wanted to learn the language and meet the people. I wanted to explore Rome and drink wine toss a coin into the famous Trevi Fountain. Above all, I just wanted to be able to enjoy the romance and the beauty of it all. But I wouldn't even have a night to see and explore the beauty of it all. It was already almost five and by the time I found a cab and made it Volterra, it'd be dark and prime vampire hunting time. My lip trembled with each step I made to exit the plane and make my way out of the airport. My limbs were heavy and I walked slowly, too burdened to enjoy the smell of coffee or the lilt of Italian coming from all around me.

In a place so beautiful and exotic, I was left bereft of all its majesty even as I climbed into a taxi and stuttered out the word Volterra. I was a woman going to die, marching to my death – on my way to sacrifice myself so that those I loved would live. The cab driver looked as if he understood my grief because his warm smile that he'd had when I climbed in had vanished and he kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror. To my relief, however, either his poor English or my grim frown kept him from attempting any conversation. He drove and I watched the beautiful landscape rush by me, too quick for me to cherish properly.

It was the walls that pulled me from my fear. The remains of the great Etruscan walls around Volterra were so striking in their size. The pulled my attention and seemed to pull me forward as we slowly drove past them and then the beauty of Volterra swept me away. Driving past the gates was like driving back in time. Volterra was absolutely medieval and captivating with its cinnamon-colored sienna stone buildings. There were no giant metal buildings or smooth pavement streets. Old stone streets jostled the cab as we slowly rolled by small shops glowing in soft orange lights. The roads curved upwards as we drove higher up the hill and when I leaned forward to peer out ahead of us my mouth dropped open in wonder. At the top of the city was an enormous castle that city had been built around.

I couldn't make out where the castle ended and the city began but when the cab rolled slowly around the bend and a great fountain appeared in an enormous courtyard I couldn't stop myself from crying out to the cab driver. "Stop!" I cried, unable to tear my eyes away from the magnificence of what I was seeing. "Please stop!"

The cab pulled to a stop on the side of the road and I quickly made to pay my fair and climbed out. I could have stood there for minutes or hours, I wouldn't have noticed the difference as I studied the great fountain of carved marble angles, the massive dark wood doors on the other side of the square, and the enormous towers that rose up into the sky over my head. I felt so small and so full of awe as I stood there, gaping at the sight huge clock tower as it seemed to stretch miles into the air.

" _Parli Italiano?"_ I turned from the castle to see an older man holding hands with a little girl. In his other arm, he held a bag of groceries.

I shook my head, trying to convey that I did not speak Italian. He nodded and said, "The castle is beautiful, have you seen it before?"

His accent was rich and warm and lovely, I fell in love with it almost immediately. "No, I haven't. But I would love to see more of it. Is it open for viewing?"

At this, the man's expression darkened a bit and he looked down at his daughter, then he smiled as if something amusing had just happened. "It is privately owned but its open for private tours, foreigners come on huge busses all the time, for a guided tour, but it's expensive."

"Well," He readjusted his grocery bag and swung his daughter's hand lightly, "I must get her to bed, _Buonasera."_

"Good night!" I called after him and turned back to the castle, regarding it with a suspicious gaze.

A privately owned castle _screamed_ vampire but as much as I knew I needed to slink into the shadows and heft open one of those heavy looking doors, my feet wouldn't move. I was rooted to the spot and to my horror, my eyes began to water. My tears flowed and I knew my eyes were going red and starting to swell, but I couldn't make them stop. I couldn't stop my hands from trembling.

But I knew I _had_ to stop. I _had_ to go in there and the sooner I did, the better chance the Volturi had of stopping Victoria's army before it was too late. Before my death was for nothing. I clenched my eyes shut and tried to think of Charlie, Billy, Jacob, Sam, and even Angela, Jessica, and Eric. I tried to think of everyone that I knew, everyone that was in danger because of me and the Cullens and Victoria. If the Cullens wouldn't admit their wrongs and stop this, then I would. I would be strong enough for that, for saving my family and preventing their deaths and the secrets destruction.

I never wanted any human to know of vampires. I never wanted any of them to feel the adoration I felt, the love I coveted, or the inequality I suffered. It wasn't right, humans and vampires mixing. If I could stop Victoria from leaving any more evidence behind and prevent rumors of vampires becoming reality, then I had to.

I wiped the tears away with determination and forced myself forward, through the square. I had to do this. I could do this. I would do this. I repeated that as the great doors seemed to grow in size as I drew closer. To my surprise, the door – despite its heavy wood – gave way under my shove and revealed a dimly lit richly decorated hallway. I wondered as I tried to shut the door behind me and it squeaked loudly, how long it would be before a vampire would heartbeat or the sound of my breathing or even the squeak of my shoes on the marble floor.

However, even with the suspicion of vampires in the near vicinity, my death looming overhead, and the absurd fear of an Italian cop catching me trespassing, I couldn't help but stop and admire the exquisite paintings on the walls in gold plated frames. Angels and demons, men with swords and women with snakes for hair, victory and defeat – these paintings had stories, I was sure of it. My inquisitiveness died as I heard heels clacking on the marble and before I could even think of what to do a beautiful blonde woman who almost dropped the thick manila folders in her arms. "Oh," she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me. _"Buonasera."_

I didn't know what she said or how to respond to her. A human was the last thing on earth I had expected to find in the castle and I began doubting I had the right place. Maybe a castle was a stupid place to look for a vampire, what did I know about them other than their coven name, their job description, and their diet? I sighed in a defeated manner and shook my head, "Sorry I think I have the wrong place. I was just looking for someone."

Even though she didn't move I was comforted by her next words. "Who were you looking for?" Her English was thickly accented but beautiful and relieving nonetheless.

Did I dare utter a vampire name to a human? Would they find out I had asked about them and be angry? I decided it was better to ask and stir up some noise, let them know I'm looking for them than to say nothing. "I'm looking for a – well I'm looking for anyone named Volturi."

The blonde's eyes went rather wide but then she smiled pleasantly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You've come to the right place. Which Volturi are you looking for?"

I tried to recall Edwards story. I tried desperately to see Carlisle's painting that hung over his fireplace, to see the faces of the men, but all I could recall was Carlisle's blonde hair and the humorous lace in his clothes. I remembered being so tickled by his old clothes that I had laughed and Edward hadn't understood, he _loved_ the lace and pomp. Of the other three men in the portrait, I couldn't recall what they looked like or their names even though I knew at one point Edward had told me each of their names.

"Not just one," I told her slowly, "but the three leaders."

"Right," she didn't seem surprised but rather hesitant. She made a gesture for me to follow her and led me back around the corner she had come from and to a desk in a very grand room. "Are you sure?"

She implored me silently as if I could walk right out of here and she would let me and she would not tell. That she knew these vampires and was trying to warn me. I nodded to her and looked at the red woven rug beneath my feet. "It's an emergency."

She set the large stack of files in her arms on the desk and picked up her phone before hitting a single button and waiting. She gestured for me to sit on one of the velvet sitting chairs. Almost immediately she began talking in such rapid Italian that I could not make out a single word, only a long musical string of sounds that I found both soothing and distressing.

She set her phone back down and hung up before looking at me with open curiosity, though she didn't ask whatever questions were going through her mind. Instead she said, "Miss Jane will be down momentarily to escort you to the throne room."

"Thanks," I answered and tried to quell the urge to fidget under her curious gaze.

"When you meet her –"

"Yes, Gianna?" I turned to see a beautiful, cherubic face of a child just on the cusp of womanhood. Her small stature had just the slightest curves that left her perpetually beautiful and innocent. Jane had face a painter like Botticelli would have spent years trying to capture the delicate mix of innocence and sinfulness that made-up Jane's delicate features and striking eyes. However, all of that almost paled in comparison to the thick, solid gold chain that wrapped around her neck and clasped to the two top points of a solid gold, emerald-encrusted 'V'. It was stunning and intricately carved and I longed to be able to hold it close and examine it.

Gianna paled beside me as I fought to keep my composure under Jane's bewildered gaze. "A human?"

I stood, feeling like I was towering over her petite frame, and tried not to feel ugly and bumbling next to this exquisite child. "Hi, I'm Bella." I held my hand out for her to take but she made no move to accept it.

Jane seemed far from satisfied from my lack of information and I sensed she, like Gianna, didn't seem keen on asking. "Follow me," she ordered tersely and span around, disappearing through the door she had come in from.

I didn't look back as I took off after her into the dim hallway. Already she was halfway down it and didn't seem interested if I followed her or not. I ran to catch up with her small, quick steps. Despite her not being thrilled I was human I couldn't help but smile at such a small, beautiful child dressed her thick black tights, skirt, and crème blouse. Her long golden hair curled in ringlets down her back and I silently admired her charm. She was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen and yet her eyes, her crimson eyes so hard and full of blood. Jane was sweet and dangerous – I'd never quite met anyone like her.

"Here we are," her sweet musical voice trilled softly as we reached another set of large heavy looking doors after many, many turns and hallways. There was so much to take in that I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it all.

My heart beat erratically in my chest and I could feel Jane watching me as I stared ahead, willing myself to be ready, to accept death only after I had pleaded my case. When I turned to Jane she was watching me with an almost illuminating curiosity. She nodded and turned to push open the doors. Inside was nothing how I imagined it would be. With the name _throne room_ being tossed around I had expected a grandeur so resplendent that what little I had seen so far would pale in comparison. Instead, the room was remarkably bare, positively Spartan. The enormous throne room was a wide circular room with tall marble columns neatly standing near three feet apart from each other and going all around the room, hiding doors and archways in inky shadows.

I felt a shudder crawl down my spine as I looked away from the symmetrical pillars, to the center of the room – where three giant stone thrones, each carved differently but beautifully. The man to the left, with chocolate brown hair and absent red eyes, rested on the throne carved with ivy and roses. The man in the middle, with raven hair that fell to his shoulders, sat on a throne gilded and engraved with a crown on top with stags and doves below. The final man, the one on the right with shocking snowy hair that laid messily around his crimson eyes, sat on the throne with great beasts carved into the arms. At first, I had thought they were bears, but upon closer inspection, as Jane and I drew forward, I realized that they looked like werewolf heads. Not like Jacob or Sam's wolf but of an oddly humanistic head warped with wolf features.

All three of them, despite being so old I couldn't even fathom it, looked only a few years older than me – maybe nineteen or twenty. There was intelligence and curiosity in their bright crimson eyes and I almost breathed a sigh of relief when I could finally put the demons from my nightmares out of mind. They were old, yes, and they obviously didn't follow the Cullens diet – but I could find no malice in their eyes. The moment the nomads in Forks had smelled me their hunt had begun – they'd refused to listen to reason or argument. My blood in their mouths was all they had cared about.

To my relief, the Volturi looked at me as a mystery that they wanted to solve, not kill. At least not immediately anyway.

It was the man with a crown on his throne to speak first, his beautiful voice rolling and lilting with excitement. "It has been a very time since we have received a human." He sighed almost dreamily as if he were whisked away to another time and his lips quirked into a loving smile. "I do so miss my Bianca."

"I'm Bella Swan," I didn't know what else to say and I was too self-conscious to offer my hand in greeting. Apart of me couldn't help but think that of all the people to kill me when I had pleaded my case, that I'd like for it to be him. He seemed so…personable or charming. Like when he killed you he would do it with love or tenderness. A love bite and a soft falling into darkness – and that's how I wanted to go, softly and slowly…slipping away with a quiet gasp. I had had enough violence.

"Ciao, mia bella," the lovely man replied. He gracefully rose and came towards me holding his outstretched hand towards me. I laid my hand in his and watched as he brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles gently. I watched with a pleased feeling as he inhaled deeply and looked up at me, his eyes darkening ever so slightly. "You are bewitching, my child."


	4. Chapter 4

_**"O** **ur language needs endless synonyms for beautiful;  
** **the eyes could see what the tongue cannot possibly describe."  
\- Anne Rice**_

 **Chapter Four:**

I felt my face color in surprise and I looked down, letting my hair fall in front of my face as I struggled to remember why I had traveled around the world to be here. Despite the destruction of everything I loved, it was hard to remember any of it with this man's warm eyes and charming tongue. Cold fingers found my chin and lifted my head with the most reverent gentleness. "Ah, such color in your cheeks. As a human, you are beautiful, I have no doubt as an immortal you would be exquisite."

His words caught me off guard because for so long I had wanted immortality but those who had it had cursed it and hated it. They had never said such things to me before. The man looked at me imploringly, "That is why you are here, no?"

The haze of charm faded intensely and I shook my head, almost startled at myself. "No – er, sir."

A buzzing sound grew suddenly and I thought maybe my ears were tricking me in this giant stone room, but no. There others here, more than just the four I had seen. Behind the marble columns around the room, there were vampires. A dozen, or maybe two, I couldn't see well enough to count but I could hear them all talking – too low for me to make out.

The man with the charming smile looked around the room with a small frown. "That is enough." At once the buzzing died down and he turned back to me. He glanced at me, his face drawn in contemplation, and tapped his fingers together in front of him. "Do you know _who_ I am, Bella?" He rolled my name out until it felt soft as silk to my ears.

I shuddered slightly as I shook my head. "I – I know that this is the Volturi coven and that you all rule the vampires and protect the secret of immortality from humans." I stopped for a moment but the man's shock prevented him from saying anything. "But most of all I know that when a law is broken you are also the ones to punish the transgressor."

"Are you saying," the man on the throne of wolfish men with snowy hair leaned forward, his eyes gleaming in the light, "that you are here to report a crime?"

This seemed to snap the man still holding my hand out of whatever shocked stupor he had been in. As I nodded to answer the question put to me, the man in front of me said, "Peace brother, there will be time enough for that. Let us not get ahead of ourselves." He turned to me with an excited smile. "I am Aro Volturi," he announced proudly and held his right hand out to gesture behind him. "These, are my brothers – Marcus and Caius."

Devilishly handsome and polite in the warmest of ways. I smiled at him and bowed my head a little at him, never breaking eye contact. "It's nice to meet you," I told him quietly, unable to muster the nerve to sound more confident.

"I assure you," he grinned widely at me, almost too widely and I marveled at the sight, "the pleasure is all mine."

I couldn't find any words, I was too mesmerized by the way his eyes implored mine with every glance or how his expression was so clearly passionately curious. I had only ever seen Edward look at me with such utter longing that only a telepath could muster. I felt my eyes go wide and the most awful, barking laugh bellowed out of me. It was the first true laugh I could remember having and it nearly made me burst into sobs that it felt so wonderful. "You have some kind of telepathy, don't you?"

It felt so good to be truly amused, to not feel the ache in chest, or the rage in veins. I almost could forget the last year and just feel without crippling pain. But as Aro's eyes went even wider than they were I felt embarrassed to realize the buzzing sound was back.

With a flick of Aro's hand, the sound died away and he took my other hand as well. "My dear Bella, long ago, when I was human – we honored great bards who spun the most magnificent stories. My father employed such a man and I used to spend hours listening to incredible tales." He moved me closer to the thrones and removed my heavy bag from around me. "Now, tell me a tale, Bella." Aro requested with a longing in his voice. "Tell us why and how you came to be here."

Aro sat back in his throne and folded his hands, waiting for me to speak. They were all waiting for me to speak, Aro, Jane, Marcus, and Caius – not to mention all the vampires I could not make out in the shadows. It was all so different from how I imagined or hoped for and I found myself struggling to think straight. "I – I guess," I stopped and took a deep breath, looking away from Aro's searching eyes and gathering my thoughts. When I was ready I looked up. "I guess I should start where all good stories start," despite the pain of remembering I found myself smiling and wiping away a tear. "With great love."

It was strange, but recounting my memories of Edward and the mystical family I loved so much was like a balm to my aching soul. It felt so nice to express all of my anger and pain and love. And Aro was such a wonderful listener. He never asked any questions and he never tired of my story when I paused to describe something important to me or babble on about the way I had felt the fire of the venom in veins. Aro had a way of hanging on to my every word that only fueled my story on further, in more detail than I had planned on giving.

I wiped my eyes as I trudged through the muck of Edward's departure and clawed my way through my bag to hand over the folder of police reports and missing person's reports. He flipped through them only for the briefest of seconds before handing the file over to Caius and immediately taking my hands again. "When I searched for Edward's meadow on my own and found Laurent there at Victoria's request, I knew I was going to die. I tried to lie but I've never been able to and he saw through it." Aro's eyes were alight with curiosity as I thumbed the scar on my wrist absently. "He promised he'd be gentle, that it would be like falling asleep and I didn't fight. I decided in the hospital recovering from James' attack that I'd had enough violence."

For a second I paused, thinking back to that afternoon and how I hadn't been terrified until the wolves appeared. How I had been in so much pain that death in Laurent's arms had seemed an acceptable escape. "But Laurent paused and I watched him back away. I wish I could say it was because I could lift trees with my mind or zap him lightning, but I'm not so cool." I leaned forward to Aro and grinned at him as he grinned back in anticipation. I could practically hear him wondering what would make a vampire flee. "Wolves!" I threw my arms up and laughed in delight at the memory as I pictured them springing forth from the trees. "Great big wolves the size of horses right there in broad daylight and before I could scream or even process my terror, they _leaped_ into the air and jumped over me and began _chasing_ Laurent into the woods."

Caius nearly gaped at me in an almost horror-stricken face and I felt my confidence boost even further. I had made an immortal _scared!_ I laughed and turned to Aro and he followed my tale with the patience of a man who thoroughly enjoyed learning every detail and savored the mystery. I tried desperately to describe the wolves of La Push and how beautiful and kind they were. I told them of how desperately they tried to protect me, how Jared and Quil Jr. had given their lives protecting me. I tried very hard to show just how much they had given and how desperate the situation had become. "This last week was the last straw," I explained as I looked down at my wringing hands.

"Collin and Brady are only children, eleven and twelve, and they are trying to fill the ranks to fight an army that Victoria could march at any time." My eyes squeezed shut at the painful thought and I tried desperately to detach myself and focus on trying to convince them to help.

"None of this has broken any law that I know of, not that I know many," I added quickly. "Seattle is abuzz with gang wars and serial killers right now, but how many exsanguinated bodies does it take before people start asking questions they shouldn't? And then when Forks or La Push is wiped off the map, how many will notice an entire town disappearing?"

I was done now. Aro seemed to sense this and he tapped his fingers against each other as he thought. "My dear," he said finally and hopped out of his throne and came to me again. "I thank you for the most interesting story I have heard in a very long time." He kissed my forehead with the same gentleness that he had kissed my hand with and stroked the back of my hair.

"Before we convene," Caius stood as well and moved to me. Aro moved away to let his brother in front of me. "May I?" He asked, gesturing to my wrist. I nodded and placed my hand in his. Caius' touch was surprisingly gentle as he examined my scar for his own eyes. "Incredible." He whispered.

"You have come here, knowing our laws, to protect those you love." Caius inquired seriously, but almost rhetorically. Still, I nodded silently at him. "You knew that coming here and finding us, reporting all of this to us would ultimately mean death for you."

I was taken aback, not by his words, but his surprise. "Wouldn't anybody else in my place?"

Aro chuckled at me and my cheeks flamed. "No, my dear, they would not. You could have walked away in Florence and never looked back, most would."

I shook my head at him and retracted my hand from Caius'. "I couldn't, I wouldn't. _I will not have children die for me."_

My ferocity seemed to please Caius greatly. "No, of course not." He turned to Aro with a meaningful look and held out his hand to him. "Are we in agreement?"

Aro took Caius' hand for a brief moment and then turned to Marcus, who was still sitting on his throne. He had listened, I had caught him watching me as I talked, but he had never moved. He had only sat there and watched, with only the mildest of interest. Of the three, Marcus scared me the most. I recognized those empty eyes. I had recognized them the moment I saw them. _Pain, loss, suffering._ I couldn't bear to look at him for more than a glance. When Aro touched Marcus' hand he smiled and nodded.

"Bella, my dear," Aro came back to my side as Caius stepped back. "Before we continue on I feel that there are certain points of which your knowledge is lacking. I believe that, before we move on to topics such as this vampire army and of Carlisle's recklessness, there are some things you should be aware of."

I tried to swallow but my mouth was so dry that my tongue felt like sandpaper. "O-Okay."

"The first," Aro said with his arms clasped behind his back, "is that above all, our purpose is to maintain immortal anonymity. So please do be assured that a team will be dispatched before the sun rises. No matter any decisions going forward, this issue will be addressed and rectified." A great weight of relief lifted off of my shoulders and I nearly sagged in relief. Even if the next thing to come out of Aro's mouth was my death, I would die knowing I had saved Jacob and Charlie, and my home.

"The second is that you were correct." He seemed almost proud as he said this and even though I didn't quite know what he was talking about, I still felt the praise in his words. "I have tactile telepathy, so when I first kissed your hand I should have been able to not only read your current thoughts as Edward is able to do from a distance, but I can read every thought you have ever had."

I felt my stomach drop as I tried and failed to wrap my mind around such an ability. "Wow," I whispered in awe, "that's – powerful."

"Indeed," Aro hummed, "though I do envy Edward's freedom to peruse so many minds at once, I do enjoy the story of a person's life. The greater the story, the greater my love. I have loved many great men."

"Have you ever met anyone like me?" I asked, and then flushed at how it sounded. "I mean, someone you can't read?"

Aro shook his head and Caius scoffed loudly and almost teasingly. "Aro has always held out hope of finding one such as you, but the closest he has come is Renata."

"Who is she?"

"My personal guard, a mental shield that can make others who try to attack the person she's guarding forget where they are going or find themselves going in the wrong direction." Aro smiled fondly as a black haired young woman stepped forward, her curls tossed over her head in an exaggerated side part.

Aro turned back to me with his infectious excitement. "But no one has ever been immune to my gift and it makes me _so very curious._ Would you permit me to test your immunity, my dear?"

Aro's excitement fed my hope for survival, kindled the flame of life in my chest and I found myself stunned silent but nodding my acceptance. "Jane? Alec?"

Jane stepped forward and in a black blur a young boy with inky black hair was beside her, a gold chain much like Jane's around his throat. I wondered what it meant before Aro spoke again. "If you would please Jane?"

"Of course, Master." Jane all but purred at Aro and turned a ferocious glare on me. I couldn't help but stare at the happy smile contrasting on her lips, wondering what on earth her power could be when her smile died. A scowl twisted her lips angrily and I shuddered as she hissed at me. "Peace child," Aro laid a hand on Jane's shoulder and almost at one, Jane looked cherubic again.

"Alec? If you would?" Aro's excitement had grown and he was watching me eagerly as I realized this boy with his black hair and black eyes terrified me. There was something about his blank expression that chilled me to the bone. Slowly, silver mist began to rise from the floor around me and I could feel my body break out in chills. Whatever this mist was, it was dangerous and I wanted nothing more than to step out of it.

"She's magnificent," Aro said to Caius with the most radiant smile. "My dear Bella to show such talent as a human, why it's extraordinary!"

Jane's poisonous glare only grew more deadly and I tried not to look at her. "I always thought my brain just ran on a different wavelength than everyone else'," I confessed to Aro while my cheeks flamed. He laughed a little and shook his head. "I think not my dear, I believe you to be a shield. A marvelous, powerful shield."

"I – I'm not sure what to say," I confessed, trying to comprehend my power.

"Don't say anything, my dear girl," Aro replied, his smile never faltering. "We cannot let you remain human, but my dear Bella, I would like to extend to you the offer to join us." My breath caught in my throat at his offer and he rushed forward to grasp my hands softly. "I would like to turn you, Bella – my beautiful girl, I would like to bring you into immortality. I want to teach you and watch you blossom into immortality, for I think you will be a stunning immortal."

My eyes watered at his sweet words and I found myself squeezing them shut and trying not sob in front who knew how many vampires. How long had I yearned to hear those words? Yet my mind could scarcely believe my ears. "You want to turn me?"

Aro nodded, "Your death would be a travesty and I do believe that while we are very different from Carlisle's coven, you could learn to be happy here with us – as my child, as a part of the guard."

"Stay here?" I asked in disbelief. "Live in this castle as a vampire?"

If Aro was amused by my fumbling, he didn't show it. He simply gazed at me with hopeful crimson eyes and I tried to imagine the life he was offering me. Before, when I had pictured living forever with Edward, I had imagined painful abstinence and human school as sacrifices I was willing to make for him. That life had seemed so right, with brothers and sisters and Carlisle and Esme to guide me. Now, I was trying and failing to imagine castles and fighting and _murder._ Immortality with Aro there to guide me and teach me, look out for me. _He controls the most powerful vampires in the world,_ I thought in disbelief, _and he wants_ me.

I couldn't fathom the path stretching out before me but I found my head moving, nodding. "I'd like that."


	5. Chapter 5

**"Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull  
of that which you truly love."  
\- Rumi**

 **Chapter Five:**

I was still reeling from my new future, trying to understand that these strangers would soon become my new family – my new coven. I hadn't been prepared for immortality, I hadn't even considered it worth hoping for. Now, as Aro dismissed the room and Caius called Santiago, Felix, Jane, Alec, and Demetri to him, I watched in silence as the room stirred with the sound of the Volturi's black robes swishing as some left and the selected went to Caius. "Aro, we will be investigating this threat more thoroughly and planning our next moves."

"Of course, Caius," Aro waved him off. "I trust you can handle this."

With that Caius nodded and span around, his robes snapping out behind him as he disappeared through a door behind the thrones. The group of vampires followed him silently, but not before staring me. I looked away, embarrassed and slightly afraid. When they were gone, I turned to Aro and bit my lip anxiously. "When will you turn me?"

"Soon, dearest. I promise I can only imagine how such a thing might weigh on you, but I ask for just a bit of patience." Aro took my hand and guided me out of the large double doors I had entered with Jane in. "First," he explained as we walked at a comfortable pace down the opulent halls. "We must have Gianna schedule a fitting for your robes and new identification, for when you are ready to leave the castle – be it for pleasure or business."

I nodded, enjoying the feel of cool hands on my own hand threaded around his arm. "Then you will need to choose a room to claim, of which there are many."

"I get a room?" I couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed as Aro raised an eyebrow at me. "I mean – of course, I'll have a room, I just hadn't really thought about it. It doesn't seem real."

"Well after you choose a room we will sit and talk," Aro guided me around a corner and once again we were in the familiar room where Gianna worked. Even though it was pitch black outside and I knew I had been in the throne room for _hours_ , Gianna was still at her desk. She was nursing a steaming cup and looking over a file.

"Gianna," the blonde looked up in surprise and then jumped out of her chair. "Master Aro, what can I do for you?"

Her green eyes jumped back and forth between Aro and me and then down at Aro's arm I was holding. She narrowed her eyes as she looked back up at me with undisguised envy and I felt a sharp jolt of understanding. _She knew what the Volturi were and wanted to be turned._ Aro seemed oblivious to Gianna's envy, at least he didn't acknowledge it, and launched right into a list of tasks for Gianna. I'd need a passport, he said, and a driver's license – and a car. I gaped at him when he said that but Aro paid me no mind as he requested a map of the available rooms and signed a form Gianna pulled out of her desk about a _credit card_ as if this was something she did every day.

"A credit card?" I asked disbelievingly as we left Gianna and Aro began a long tour of the available bedrooms.

"Are they not the cleverest creations?" Aro asked as he led me along, cheerfully. "I remember when the weight of the gold in my purse weighed more than my sword. All those coins to lug around and keep track of. I am so fond of this digital age where I can pull out my plastic card and swipe – no counting coins or carrying around sacks full of gold.

"Did you know I just purchased a palazzo without ever touching any money?" Aro was beaming now and I felt slightly dazed when I tried to think of how old he must be.

"But why do _I_ need one?" I asked with a bit of reluctance.

"Do you want to stay in the castle forever?" He asked me in surprise. "Would you not like to see the world? Not taste and feel all it has to offer?"

"Well, yes," I replied as we started to slow. "But that's _your_ money."

We had wandered into a large witting room with a burning fire in a large stone fireplace. Aro led me to a couch and then took a seat to my right in a high-backed, red velvet chair. "Did Carlisle never teach you our customs?"

"I – I mean," I tried to reply but found myself suddenly unable to. "Edward taught me some things, like some of the laws and about a coven called Denali who also drink from animals. Mostly however, he didn't like to talk about it. He hated the idea of turning me."

The warmth of the fire and the softness of the couch were soothing and I rested my head against the arm and watched the flames dance. "So, he never taught you about the relationship between a sire and a child?"

"No, I've never head those terms before."

When Aro didn't respond, I looked up at him and was surprised to find genuine anger in eyes. When he noticed my gaze his eyes softened and he smiled apologetically. "I do apologize, my dear, but Carlisle and I used to be very good friends. It angers me that he should be so –," Aro gave a sigh and raised his hand into the air in sweeping gestures. "I don't even know if he is malicious or just naïve, and I fear the need to question someone I had every faith in."

With a shake of his head, Aro turned to me and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. "When I turn you, Bella, under the law, you are my child much as for the last –" Aro stopped and peered at me thoughtfully, "nineteen years?"

I laughed at him quietly and smiled, "Eighteen."

"Ah yes, the past eighteen years you have been a child of your mortal parents." Aro's brilliant smile was back now but his eyes were serious. "I will be your father, and your brother, and your friend – even your enemy. I will teach you how to survive for thousands of years and give you the means to do so. I am responsible for your care, education, and quality of life."

For a moment Aro went quiet and I watched as he mulled over his words. "One thing you will come to realize is that no matter how long you live or where you live, home is no longer in the physical walls around us or the fortunes we amass. When the centuries have passed and the mortals you knew and loved are gone, when the world no longer looks familiar to you – the people you return to are home."

My throat was constricted with emotion as I felt tears fall from my eyes. Wordlessly Aro stood and held his hand out for my own. I grasped it and wiped stray tears away with my other hand as I stood. He led me to the far wall where an absolutely enormous gilded frame captured my attention. Across the top of a long sheet of ancient parchment, the word VOLTURI was spelled out in stunning swirling letters. Below there was a name, Villem, and from him, at least a dozen lines were connected. I followed the lines from Villem to Kathrine and then down to Elias and to my shock, I found Caius and followed his lines to Gabrielle, Francesca, Maximus, and Theodore. I stared back at Caius' name in shock and then jumped lines to the right as I spotted Aro's name and began to trace his ancestry.

From Villem, Aro's line was very different from Caius'. Villem had a line leading to Magnus who led to many, many lines but I followed the next name, Kaspar, who's single line led to Aro. I couldn't stop my finger from tracing over the lines, smudging the glass. Below Aro were lines attached to Sulpicia, Jane, Alec, and Bianca. Aro's hand came up next to mine and tapped an empty space next to Bianca. That is where your name shall me, dearest. Bella Volturi, created by Aro – child of Kaspar, child of Magnus, fledgling of Villem."

I turned to him and shook my head. "Isabella Volturi, I think my full name sounds rather grand." My lips twitched upwards as I tried out my new name. "Isabella Volturi, child of Aro."

Aro swept me away again, guiding me down dim, candle-lit hallways. "What is a fledgling?" I asked him as we wandered.

"To understand that," Aro stopped in front a door and pushed it open for me to inspect. It was beautiful but almost everything was gold or painted gold, or even covered in gold. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. "You must understand how old Villem Volturi was."

We continued walking and I turned to peer up at Aro and his youthful, handsome face. "Was he as old as the Egypt's pyramids?" I asked, trying to think of anything older and failing.

Aro laughed delightedly at that. "No, no dearest. Villem lived so long ago that I don't believe he ever saw the great pyramids. He created Katherine, Magnus, and the name stricken from the tree. No one alive remembers who that was or why they had been smudged away. Anyways, right after Villem created Magnus he walked into the fire and left all his earthly possessions and no knowledge of who or what they were behind."

I couldn't stifle my gasp. "How awful."

Aro nodded and began to lead me up a flight of stairs. "Yes, I don't believe Katherine ever truly got over the whole event, because after she made Elias she walked into the nearest fire. The old ones were terribly suicidal."

"Anyways," Aro went on as we climbed to the next bedroom, "Villem was already ancient long before any pyramids and in those days, life as a vampire was very different. He was worshiped as a god by mortals for so long that I do believe that most of his brood began to think themselves gods. They called their children fledglings then, as in fledgling gods."

"What do you mean his brood?" I asked as I opened the door we stopped in front of. Inside was a beautiful canopy bed and the matching dark wood furniture was stunning, there was nothing _wrong_ with the room per say but it just wasn't right.

Aro accepted my decision without comment and began to lead me away. "Ah generations of vampires are called broods. There was the first brood, who all met the fire without leaving a scrap of information about how we came to be." I watched the planes of his face harden slightly and realized that this was probably a question that had plagued him for hundreds of years.

"Their fledglings," Aro continued on without further mention of the troublesome first brood, "are called the second brood and Stefan and Vladimir are part of this brood. They ruled the immortal world before Caius, Marcus, and myself."

"My brothers and I are all of the fourth brood – and soon, when someone asks you will be able to say that you are part of the fifth brood." I looked up at Aro questioningly.

"Is that an honor?"

"Oh yes, most covens are well past fifteen or twenty. By that time the venom gets weaker and therefor the vampires aren't as strong or fast. You see, as we age our venom develops a potency. We get stronger, our appearances change somewhat, and our powers grow. But all of this takes a great many years and human turned with immature venom will not be as strong as one turned by the very old – if they even survive."

We turned a corner and I was startled by the blur of Jane's blonde hair as she breezed by too swift for me to fully make out. "So I wouldn't be as strong if Edward would have turned me because he's only a hundred years old and your…?" I trailed off, wondering if he would give me a direct answer.

"I am approximately thirty-three hundred years old."

My steps faltered and I felt the ground coming up meet me as I fell, but before I land Aro caught me and held me upright. I just stared at him with, gaping as tried to absorb this new information. "When? When were you turned? Where?"

"Ah, I was born in Athens in 1305, before the common era." Aro glanced at me and added, "That means before Christ, I refuse to use a cult leader as my measure."

"Christ," I whispered as we resumed walking. "Christ – you're older than Christ. Jesus, Jesus was real." Even to my own ears I sounded mystified.

Aro snorted in humor and smiled at me. "Oh yes, you'll hear many vampires claim to be at the crucifixion. As a general rule, don't believe it; if half as many vampires watched Christ die as say they did, well there wouldn't have been a human left in that crowd."

"Ah," Aro cried delightedly as we drew closer to a bedroom. "I believe you might like this one. It was one of the ones Athenadora – Caius' wife – decorated just a few centuries ago."

The room took my breath away. Everything was massive; the bed and its carved, thick dark wood, the enormous window, and even fireplace took up half a wall. I easily could have stood straight inside it and not brushed the top with my head or the sides with my fingertips. An ancient and faded rug lay spread out over a good portion of the room that wasn't being taken up by the bed. My favorite feature though, was the large candle chandelier over head a sitting area with large, oversized chairs around a small round table.

"There are electric lights on the walls of course," Aro said when I didn't say anything. "But I've always found candles a more soothing light. Oh, and off through there should be a full bath and a closet."

I could only stare the beautiful green bed and the ornate bookcase. I could so very easily picture myself in it. At last I turned to Aro with a wide smile. "This one," I said as I made my way inside. Aro set to work with lighting a fire in the hearth which I then used to light candles in the chandelier and on the tables.

Not long after the room was awash in the warmth of the fire and the soft glow of the candlelight. The room was absolutely magical and I couldn't help but stare at it in wonder. I felt Aro's hand grasp mine and he turned me slowly to him, pulling me into his chest and my heart faltered for a moment before deciding to try to beat its way out of my chest. As I looked up I realized what was next.

"I have but only glimpsed you Isabella," Aro whispered as he pressed a kiss to my forehead, "and I do so look forward to watching immortality polish you. For we do not change, we merely become more clearly ourselves."

With a gentle and reverent hand Aro swept my hair away with one hand as the other snaked around my waist. He cradled me in a tender embrace and lowered me back. My hair fell back and exposed my bare throat. Aro's gaze never left mine as he leaned down and inhaled, savoring my scent. Then his mouth stretched wide and his razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the soft light. My head fell to the side and my arms that curled around his Aro's shoulders moved so that I could bury my fingers in his hair. I pulled him to me and felt his teeth pierce my skin.

I let out a surprised gasp and then fell silent as I felt myself sinking down into a cool darkness.


End file.
